Acts 21:17-25: a reflection

17When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly. 18The day following, Paul went in with us to James; and all the elders were present. 19When he had greeted them, he reported one by one the things which God had worked among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20They, when they heard it, glorified God. They said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law. 21They have been informed about you, that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children and not to walk after the customs. 22What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come. 23Therefore do what we tell you. We have four men who have taken a vow. 24Take them and purify yourself with them, and pay their expenses for them, that they may shave their heads. Then all will know that there is no truth in the things that they have been informed about you, but that you yourself also walk keeping the law. 25But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written our decision that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from food offered to idols, from blood, from strangled things, and from sexual immorality.”

Paul arrives in Jerusalem, and the leaders raise a delicate concern: many Jewish believers have heard rumors that Paul teaches against the law of Moses, and it is causing offense. Their proposed solution is that Paul join four men in a vow and its purification rites, and pay their expenses, publicly demonstrating that he still lives in respect of the law. Paul, who taught so strongly that we are not justified by the law, agrees, and does it.

Notice what Paul is willing to do, and why. He does not compromise the gospel; his convictions about grace are unchanged. But on a matter that was not essential to the gospel, he willingly yields his own freedom, takes on a custom he was not bound to, to avoid causing needless offense and to preserve unity among believers. He is flexible where flexibility costs him nothing essential, choosing deference and peace over standing rigidly on his rights.

There is wisdom here for how we handle the difference between essentials and non-essentials. On the core of the gospel, Paul would not budge an inch. But on secondary matters of custom and conscience, he was willing to defer, to accommodate others' scruples, to give up his freedom for the sake of peace and of not needlessly offending fellow believers. We often do the reverse, digging in on our rights and preferences in secondary things while treating the essentials casually. Learn Paul's flexibility: hold the essentials firmly, and hold your freedoms loosely, deferring in non-essentials for the sake of unity and love. Not every right is worth insisting on.

Lord, Paul held the gospel firmly but yielded his freedom in non-essentials to avoid needless offense and preserve unity. Give me the wisdom to tell the difference, to stand firm on what is essential and to hold my rights and preferences loosely for the sake of peace. Keep me from digging in on secondary things; teach me to defer in love for the unity of your people.